Casper Ruud made history by becoming the first Norwegian tennis player to win a Masters 1000 title, after defeating Jack Draper in the final of the Madrid Open.
The final score was 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, in a match full of emotion.
Ruud, who reached number two in the world, showed his grit by recovering from a 5-3 deficit in the first set. The victory was sealed thanks to a crucial break in the third set, with the score at 2-2.
The 26-year-old tennis player’s celebration was effusive, showing his joy after securing the victory on the clay court of the Caja Mágica.
This triumph in Madrid will allow Ruud to return to the top 10, placing him in the 7th position in the ranking on Monday.
With this title, Ruud, who has 13 titles to his name, becomes the first Norwegian to win a Masters 1000 since the series was created in 1990. This was his third final of this kind, after losing in Monte Carlo last year and in Miami in 2022.
The Madrid tournament was affected by a power outage that forced the postponement of several matches.
Ruud, who needed painkillers in the semifinal due to a rib injury, showed no signs of injury in the final.
Draper, who also reached the final without losing sets, could not win the first set, which generated frustration in the British player.
The men’s tournament suffered significant losses, such as that of Carlos Alcaraz, who withdrew due to injury, and the early defeat of Novak Djokovic.
In the women’s final, Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff on Saturday.
